New joiners at Motivate Publishing

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Changes have been been made to the Motivate team in the form of two new joiners. Shruti Srivastava has rejoined the company as Senior Sales Manager to Open Skies magazine. Shruti worked with the Open Skies team until three years ago, when she left to join digital company Onurfingers as Marketing Manager. Most recently she was Senior Sales Manager at ITP Publishing before rejoining Motivate.

Jessica Lane has joined Motivate as Deputy Sales Manager assigned to Good magazine. Jessica has 11 years of work experience in the UK, nine of which are in advertising sales.

Changes to the Gulf News Publishing team

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There have been a number of changes to the Gulf News Publishing team in fashion and beauty. Lindsay Judge will be Acting Fashion Director and Natascha Hawke will be Acting Fashion Editor while Danielle Elmes-Hughes is on maternity leave until September. Lindsay was previously in the role of Group Fashion Editor working across a number of Gulf News magazines, including Aquarius, alpha, Friday and Watch Time. Prior to this, Lindsay was the Fashion and Beauty Editor for Ahlan! at ITP Publishing Group. Natascha was previously a freelance writer and stylist in the UK. Prior to that, she was the Editor of Velvet magazine in the UAE. Both will be covering their roles across all Gulf News Publishing publications, including Friday, Aquarius and alpha.

Amrita Divecha has also joined in the position of Fashion Assistant. Before joining Gulf News Publishing, she was Office Manager at Namshi.com where she was involved in the complete set up of Namshi offices and warehouses.

Lucy Smith joins Performance Communications

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Sports and automotive specialist agency Performance Communications has appointed Lucy Anna Smith as Associate Account Director. In her new role, Lucy will be heading up the agency’s Hyundai and Continental Tires accounts across the Middle East.

Lucy has previously worked in the UK with the Ford Motor Company. She has seven years of experience in the PR industry and has worked for leading consumer agencies in London handling accounts for globally-renowned brands such as Radox and Southern Comfort. More recently, she moved to the UAE to manage corporate communications for BMW Group Middle East and MINI Middle East.

Rahul Odedra joins Bloomberg Businessweek ME

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Rahul Odedra has joined Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East (ME) as Deputy Editor. He will be working on the fortnightly publication under Editor Cathal McElroy.

Rahul previously worked as Editor of HotelierMiddleEast.com at ITP Publishing and contributed as Deputy Editor at Hotelier Middle East magazine. Prior to moving to Dubai in 2014, Rahul was based in the UK, working across different titles including Professional Adviser and The Moodie Report.

Effie Global Ranking Index 2015 announced

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Effie Worldwide has announced its 2015 index ranking, with five top global entities in the MENA region being recognised and awarded under the scheme. The index, now in its fifth year, identifies and ranks outstanding agencies, marketers and brands through a rigorous evaluation of their case studies and work, with a core objective to recognise and reward ideas that have had the most impact across the globe, irrespective of campaign size.

The Effie Effectiveness Index 2015 is compiled from 3,146 finalists and winning entries from worldwide Effie Award competitions from January 1 to December 31, 2014. Organisations that have been awarded this year in the MENA region include Unilever, for Most Effective Marketer, Coca-Cola, for Most Effective Brand, IPG, for Most Effective Holding Group, McCann Worldgroup for Most Effective Agency Network and FP7, for Most Effective Individual Agency.

“The Effie Effectiveness Index is the world’s most prestigious ranking of effective marketing, and five years of data allows for a bigger picture to compare and contrast the trends in Marketing,” says Neal Davies, President and CEO, Effie Worldwide. “By having access to the cases that led to success in the Effie Index, marketers can study best in class examples of effective marketing from around the globe.”

Mindshare prepares for media summit in KSA

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Global media agency network Mindshare, part of WPP, is gearing up for “Staying Agile” – a dynamic media summit that will be held on May 4, 2015 in Riyadh, KSA.

The summit will welcome global representatives from fields of film, sports, technology, communications and more, to discuss incorporating agility into existing operating frameworks and other critical issues in a fun and engaging manner. Panels will be led by industry leaders known for their agile approach in their respective businesses including; Daniel Sieber, award-winning reporter and author of The Digital Diet, Jordan Casey, 15-year-old entrepreneur and self-taught programmer, and Karim Rashid, industrial designer and interior architect.

“Mindshare is always commited to bringing the most dynamic and creative events in the industry, and “Staying Agile” is no exception,” says Samir Ayoub, CEO, Mindshare MENA.

Edelman to acquire DABO & CO

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Communications marketing firm Edelman today announced it plans to acquire independent communications agency DABO & CO. The combination of Edelman’s United Arab Emirates operations with those of DABO & CO will encompass 150 employees with a broad range of expertise from corporate to marketing to digital. The agency will offer creative, planning, research and event management capabilities across the region.

Edelman UAE opened its first office in Abu Dhabi in 2008; it now has an award-winning team of 85 consultants across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, working for UAE-based organisations as well as numerous multinational companies.

DABO & CO has grown over the past ten years to become a creative communications and experiential marketing business; it now has a team of over 60 staff and represents many world-renowned brands.

“Globally Edelman looks to invest in firms that are committed to reshaping the focus of the communications marketing industry, and DABO & CO demonstrates this vision through its highly-creative, client-centric approach,” says Matthew Harrington, Global Chief Operating Officer, Edelman. “As the industry develops in the Middle East, this partnership will position us to create engaging and innovative communications programs that support our clients’ needs.”

“We are excited to partner with Edelman as we believe this acquisition will unite two of the leading players in the market to create a regional powerhouse,” adds Camilla d’Abo, Managing Partner, DABO & CO. “Not only will our clients benefit greatly from this, it also constitutes a compelling proposition to brands seeking a new integrated approach in the region.”